{{Short description|Chicago-based nonprofit charitable trust established in 1955}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} '''McCormick Foundation''' is a Chicago-based nonprofit charitable trust established in 1955, following the death of "Colonel" Robert R. McCormick of the McCormick family. {{Asof |2010}}, it had more than US$1 billion in assets.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mccormickfoundation.org/aboutus.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906094410/http://www.mccormickfoundation.org/aboutus.aspx |archive-date=2008-09-06 |title=About the Foundation}}</ref>
==History== In 1911, McCormick became the editor and publisher of the ''Chicago Tribune'', a position he held until his death in 1955. McCormick's will founded a charitable trust to promote his beliefs regarding the First Amendment, citizenship, community service, education and journalism.
In May 2008, the foundation’s Board of Directors changed its name from McCormick Tribune Foundation to the McCormick Foundation to clarify that the Foundation no longer held an ownership position in the Tribune Company.<ref name="trib2008">{{cite news |title= Foundation changes name: McCormick dropping longtime Tribune tag |date= May 16, 2008 |newspaper= Chicago Tribune |author= Charles Storch |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/05/16/foundation-changes-name/ |access-date= January 7, 2011 }}</ref> In May 2009, the foundation appointed Chicago native, lawyer and former CEO of the ''Los Angeles Times'', David Hiller as its president and CEO.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=34081|title = Chicago's Complete Business News Resource}}</ref> Hiller succeeded David L. Grange, a retired United States Army major general, who was the foundation’s president from 2005–2009.<ref name="trib2008"/>
==Parks and museums==
===Cantigny Park===
McCormick left his grandfather Joseph Medill's estate, that he called Cantigny, as a public park. The park is located in Wheaton, Illinois.
===Mobilization of the McCormick Freedom Museum===
From April 2006 to March 2009 the foundation funded the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum which focused on First Amendment rights: freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition.<ref>{{cite news |title= Save the McCormick Freedom Museum: The recently shuttered Freedom Museum lives on |date= June 3, 2009 |newspaper= TimeOut Chicago |author= Madeline Nusser |url= http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/features/74841/save-the-mccormick-freedom-museum |accessdate= January 7, 2011 }}</ref> In January 2009, the foundation announced it was turning the McCormick Freedom Museum mobile.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-01-31/news/0901300430_1_museum-s-work-mccormick-tribune-foundation-tribune-tower | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515215723/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-01-31/news/0901300430_1_museum-s-work-mccormick-tribune-foundation-tribune-tower | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 15, 2012 | work=Chicago Tribune | first=William | last=Mullen | title=McCormick Freedom Museum leaving Tribune Tower home | date=January 31, 2009}}</ref> The mobile museum made its debut in Chicago’s Pioneer Court on May 27, 2010.
==Grantmaking== The foundation has six programs:<ref name="grant">{{cite web |title= Programs and Grant Lists |work= official web site |publisher= McCormick Foundation |url= http://www.mccormickfoundation.org/programs.aspx |accessdate= January 7, 2011 }}</ref>
===Education===
After a $30 million grant to renovate the Technological Institute in 1989, the Engineering school of Northwestern University was renamed the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.<ref>{{cite web |title= History: 1989-1998 |work= Northwestern Engineering web site |url= http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/100/?history#decade-9 |accessdate= January 7, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100605030026/http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/100/?history#decade-9 |archive-date= June 5, 2010 |url-status= dead }}</ref> Since 2003, the foundation focused on programs for children up to the age of eight in Illinois, including Advance Illinois, Illinois Action for Children, Ounce of Prevention Fund, and the Erikson Institute.<ref name="grant"/>
===Journalism===
The foundation makes grants concerning journalism, including American Society of Newspaper Editors Foundation, Radio Arte, News Literacy Project, Northwestern University's Media Management Center, and the Poynter Institute.<ref name="grant"/>
===Civics===
The foundation makes grants to improve access to civic education and engagement opportunities for Chicago area youth ages 12–22, including Mikva Challenge, City Year Chicago, Interfaith Youth Core, Illinois Campus Compact, and Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago.<ref name="grant"/>
===Communities===
The foundation partners with media outlets and sports teams (including the Cleveland Cavaliers,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/community/youthfund_100721.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=July 23, 2010 |archive-date=July 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100730073940/http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/community/youthfund_100721.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Orlando Magic,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/magic/omyf/OMYF_011026.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011105105318/http://www.nba.com/magic/omyf/OMYF_011026.html |archive-date=2001-11-05 |title=MAGIC: OMYF|website=NBA.com }}</ref> Chicago Blackhawks,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blackhawks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=530151|title = McCormick Foundation Teams with Blackhawks}}</ref> Chicago Cubs<ref>{{cite web| url = http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20100427&content_id=9610268&vkey=pr_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100522041207/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20100427&content_id=9610268&vkey=pr_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc| archive-date = 2010-05-22| title = McCormick Foundation's Cubs Care donates more than $1 million to Chicago area non-profits {{!}} cubs.com: Official Info}}</ref> and the Chicago White Sox<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mccormickfoundation.org/communities/whitesox.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929081618/http://www.mccormickfoundation.org/communities/whitesox.aspx |archive-date=2009-09-29 |title=Chicago White Sox Community Fund}}</ref>) to raise money for local needs, often granting matching funds.<ref name="grant"/>
===Veterans===
In 2008 and 2009 the foundation made grants for services for returning veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.<ref name="grant"/>
===Other initiatives===
The foundation makes grants for Chicago healthcare, cultural, education and human service organizations. Examples include Chicago Lighthouse for the blind or visually impaired, Children's Memorial Hospital, and Off The Street Club.<ref name="grant"/>
==References== <!--- See Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.mccormickfoundation.org/ McCormick Foundation Website] * {{cite web |title= Freedom Express:A First Amendment Experience |publisher= McCormick Foundation |work= official web site |url= http://www.mccormickfoundation.org/civics/programs/education/freedomexpress/ |accessdate= January 7, 2011 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mccormick Foundation}} Category:Organizations established in 1955 Category:Non-profit organizations based in Chicago Category:1955 establishments in Illinois Category:McCormick family